Timeline
Two hundred fifty years ago, war broke out between the great shinobi villages, dragging with them, many of the other nations becoming drawn into it over the ten years it lasted. Respect for the villages degraded during this time, becoming known as the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Following this time came the Soutou Jidai (Era of Strife) as the countries forced a halt to the warring of their shinobi villages. The forced end to the war was not universally met with open arms as tensions rose and the momentary lull in the hostilities eventually snapped. Their credibility broken, shinobi became outlawed, hunted and executed. At the end of the struggling, the villages of the previous eras are all but wiped out, two new ones rising up in the shadow of the new age ahead. As you join this world, you find that much of the past was lost to the wars and chaos of the last two centuries. Coming to contribute to this new world, your choices and the possibilities are endless as your actions lead toward the future of the new shinobi world. Will you cause its rise to power or its destruction? How will your character affect the world? What changes will come and what will you create? The Fourth Great Shinobi War (1702-1712) Two hundred fi fty years ago, on a warm spring night, the eight Hokage is found dead in his office. Silent and eerie, elsewhere in Konoha at the time, a lone genin passing through the streets spots five masked figures bearing the markings of a Kirigakure shinobi fleeing the village. By the time the sighting was reported though, the five shadowy figures were long gone. This single event would begin a time of tension and hostility between Konohagakure and Kirigakure. As Konoha's shinobi south to find the culprits and took hostility upon any Kirigakure shinobi that were spotted within Fire Country's borders. Tensions mounted only further when a team of Konohagakure's ANBU, charged with investigating Kirigakure's involvement with the 8th Hokage's death, were caught in the task later in the summer as they followed a squad of Kirigakure shinobi into Lightning Country. Discovered by the Kirigakure shinobi, violence broke out, drawing the attention of the Kumogakure shinobi who'd been sent to meet the Kiri representatives at the border. As the fight progressed, only one of Konoha's ANBU managed to escape, two of Kirigakure's shinobi as well as one of the Kumo nin were also lost to the fight, sparking the beginnings of a war that would only escalate to engulf nearly all of the elemental nations. As the hostilities grew and Kumogakure joined in the defense of Kirigakure, war was declared, pulling the distant Sunagakure to Konohagakure's aid. By the end of that first year, the battles between the four villages seemed at a stand still as for every battle one side lost, the won another, neither side gaining an advantage for long. The number of casualties suffered grew steadily, Fire Countries borders suffering much of the abuse each time the villages clashed. As the four villages lost themselves to the war, many of their resources and much of their focus became redirected to the into the war efforts. As the state of the war reached the knowledge of Iwagakure, would soon be pulled in as well when a mysterious group of shinobi, bearing the mark of Iwagakure attempted and failed to intercept a group of reinforcements leaving Wind Country for Konohagakure. The loss of a few of Sunagakure's reinforcements sparked tension and suspicion upon Iwagakure's position as the Kazekage declared war upon their neighboring country's hidden village. As Iwagakure and Sunagakure's peace time relations disassembled, Iwagakure looked for whoever had caused the strange deception, their suspicions falling on the nearest country that could benefit from them joining the war as they turned on Kumogakure and became a separate force within the war, gathering smaller hidden villages beneath them as they joined the chaos. With the war only spreading, the chaos only grew to engulf and draw in the near entirety of the shinobi villages and countries, any countries in between suffering from the collateral damage of the roaming armies with each battle that took place. The western island countries followed the news of the war, begging and hoping that it wouldn't reach them as they kept to their small islands and avoided the war as best they could. With the war only spreading, no side seemed to win or gain much when the casualties and destruction were so great. The village populations dwindled slowly and civilian towns and villages across the eastern continent suffered the consequences. The collective Daimyo of the war riddled countries had no choice but to enlist their own armies and samurai in an attempt to end it.Two hundred fifty years ago, on a warm spring night, the eight Hokage is found dead in his office. Silent and eerie, elsewhere in Konoha at the time, a lone genin passing through the streets spots five masked figures bearing the markings of a Kirigakure shinobi fleeing the village. By the time the sighting was reported though, the five shadowy figures were long gone. This single event would begin a time of tension and hostility between Konohagakure and Kirigakure. As Konoha's shinobi south to find the culprits and took hostility upon any Kirigakure shinobi that were spotted within Fire Country's borders. Tensions mounted only further when a team of Konohagakure's ANBU, charged with investigating Kirigakure's involvement with the 8th Hokage's death, were caught in the task later in the summer as they followed a squad of Kirigakure shinobi into Lightning Country. Discovered by the Kirigakure shinobi, violence broke out, drawing the attention of the Kumogakure shinobi who'd been sent to meet the Kiri representatives at the border. As the fight progressed, only one of Konoha's ANBU managed to escape, two of Kirigakure's shinobi as well as one of the Kumo nin were also lost to the fight, sparking the beginnings of a war that would only escalate to engulf nearly all of the elemental nations. As the hostilities grew and Kumogakure joined in the defense of Kirigakure, war was declared, pulling the distant Sunagakure to Konohagakure's aid. By the end of that first year, the battles between the four villages seemed at a stand still as for every battle one side lost, the won another, neither side gaining an advantage for long. The number of casualties suffered grew steadily, Fire Countries borders suffering much of the abuse each time the villages clashed. As the four villages lost themselves to the war, many of their resources and much of their focus became redirected to the into the war efforts. As the state of the war reached the knowledge of Iwagakure, would soon be pulled in as well when a mysterious group of shinobi, bearing the mark of Iwagakure attempted and failed to intercept a group of reinforcements leaving Wind Country for Konohagakure. The loss of a few of Sunagakure's reinforcements sparked tension and suspicion upon Iwagakure's position as the Kazekage declared war upon their neighboring country's hidden village. As Iwagakure and Sunagakure's peace time relations disassembled, Iwagakure looked for whoever had caused the strange deception, their suspicions falling on the nearest country that could benefit from them joining the war as they turned on Kumogakure and became a separate force within the war, gathering smaller hidden villages beneath them as they joined the chaos. With the war only spreading, the chaos only grew to engulf and draw in the near entirety of the shinobi villages and countries, any countries in between suffering from the collateral damage of the roaming armies with each battle that took place. The western island countries followed the news of the war, begging and hoping that it wouldn't reach them as they kept to their small islands and avoided the war as best they could. With the war only spreading, no side seemed to win or gain much when the casualties and destruction were so great. The village populations dwindled slowly and civilian towns and villages across the eastern continent suffered the consequences. The collective Daimyo of the war riddled countries had no choice but to enlist their own armies and samurai in an attempt to end it. The Soutou Jidai (The Era of Strife, 1712-1802) With the intervention of the countries' governments, the war began to wind down. Funding to the shinobi villages was cut off completely to focus on the rebuilding of the countries and the recovery of each nation's citizens. As the war came to a rather abrupt halt, many of the villages accepted the change and financial punishment, following the example of their patron countries as many attempted to aid in the rebuilding of their nations and their own villages to alleviate the strife and destruction caused by the war. Tensions remained though between the villages as well as a new bitterness between the shinobi villages and their neighbors, the war having drawn from the resources of those around them as well as the collateral damages caused to the border villages during the war. As the strained relations of the villages remained though, a case of Sunagakure shinobi being sighted in Earth Country threatens to reignite the war between the villages, the countries immediately reacting with a ban on foreign shinobi presence and restricting the movement of shinobi within the countries. The verdict sparks bitter retaliation from Kirigakure however, as a squad of shinobi stage an attack upon the Water Daimyo, resulting in the country leader's demise. In the chaos, his lone heir manages to escape and survive the spark of the civil war in Water Country, mounting his own retaliations as Water Country becomes the first of many to begin outlawing the existence of Shinobi. Reacting in fear to the other countries aren't slow to pick up the new policy, as soon, near world wide destruction of the shinobi villages begins. The events strike fear into the civilian masses as shinobi become the poster children of nightmares and destruction, leaving the struggling ninja isolated and dwindling further as they themselves have had little time to recover from the war. Keeping their civilians pacified, the countries declare outright genocide upon the hidden villages. Hunted and executed without prejudice, shinobi are labeled a danger to the peace and safety of citizens. Civil war breaks out across the countries, the ninjutsu of the outlawed shinobi is found to be overwhelming to the nations' samurai and armies, and post-war casualties climb.Amid the chaos, a singular samurai clan from Iron Country branches out, appealing to the Daimyo of the warring states to help turn the conflict in their favor. With the rise of this clan, its seven chosen members travel throughout the duration of the era as they taught their skills to the strongest and most trusted of each country's samurai forces. The era quickly turns in favor of the governments as the hidden villages fall. The Shinsei Jidai (The Era of Rebirth, 1802-1952) With the fall of the shinobi villages ensured, a new era begins, Peace returning to the elemental nations as many of the smaller shinobi villages and their clans are wiped out. Knowledge of their existence and jutsu is hidden away and gone from the public eye as the countries leave the past one-hundred years of chaos and pain behind them. The remaining shinobi are quickly disappearing, either under silent execution or through escaping the eye of the countries armies as they seek survival and new lives. Many shinobi disappear among the masses, fleeing to other countries and making new names for themselves as they retire their shinobi skills and attempt to go unseen in the new era. Their bloodlines and history remaining only in fleeting memories and silence as the war becomes little more than an incident of mass lawlessness and anarchy. The pain of the previous era seems to wash away with the renewal of the countries and the peace between them as the last few shinobi make a final effort to preserve themselves. New leaders rise among the shinobi refugees, their titles said in quiet whispers within their camps as roving groups of shinobi begin to wander the world, hiding their capabilities and pasts from the public eye. Soon, the small groups gather, and two main ones arise, each led by a council of three Kage. In Lightning Country, a new Raikage rises to power, joined by the Hikage of Snow Country's Yukigakure refugees and the Mizukage of Kirigakure's displaced shinobi. As this group's numbers grow and they strive to maintain the old traditions and teachings mostly lost in the chaos of the Soutou Jidai, they wander the north western countries of the eastern continent attempting to find a new home in which they can go unnoticed. Unable to feasibly play out their plans without some form of benefactor, they begin to appeal to the Daimyo of the surrounding countries to strike a deal. Like a mirror, another group seems to play out the same story, a new Hokage rising among the refugees in Fire Country as they begin roaming to evade the last hunting parties the countries have out for them. In that time, their group is joined by refugees of the eastern-most countries, a Tsuchikage and a Kazekage joining him in his efforts. As the three begin worrying about the safety of those they lead, they too begin a plan, sending out messengers to the nearby countries in an attempt to find refugee in a world that wants them dead. For each group though, time after time, their messengers do not return. Whether each one was killed in their mission or deserted them for a different path, the answer is never discovered, until finally, each receives an answer back. The first is from the Fire Daimyo, allowing an audience with the current Hokage, and the second is of the Lightning Daimyo, who grants a meeting with the Raikage of the western refugees. Over the next few months, treaties are discussed in each country, and land at various isolated parts of the countries is granted to the two refugee groups. The first to rise is Miraigakure (The Village Hidden by the Future/The Hidden Future Village). Known publicly as Mirai no Sato (The Village of the Future), their shinobi nature is kept secret, the village covered by the guise of an industrial town focused on technological advancement for the benefit of Fire Country. The village over all is built under the mindset of maintaining progress and finding a new way among the constantly changing world. Soon after Miraigakure's construction begins, a village called Kaku no Sato (The Village of the Past) rises in Lightning country. Forming a similar contract with the Lightning Daimyo, the western shinobi refugees create Kakugakure (The Village Hidden by the Past/The Hidden Past Village), in secret. Their village, traditional in nature, grows quickly in service to the Lightning Daimyo, the former militaristic mind-set of the old Kumogakure seeming to be a driving force behind the development of the village. Creating a more conservative and loyalty driven background, they focus their efforts into allowing old traditions to thrive and maintaining a culture rich history within the country. The Zenso Jidai (The Era of Preludes, 1952-Current) Acclimating to their new ways, the shinobi delve into their new lives, beginning anew and falling deeper into secrecy... It is at this point, that you've joined our story. :: ''Current Date: Five days after Shoman in the Season of Natsu - The 26th Day of Satsuki in the year 1952.'' Category:LORE/GEN - General Information & Summaries